Back to Brokeback
by Rabbit-Momma
Summary: A Martin & Lewis, "Derry," fic. Jacky Twist II comes across something that leads him out of his normal sheltered life and into the world to discover where his family had come from. He ends up meeting Steve Del Mar, a ranch foreman. Together they dig up secrets and end up fighting for what Jack and Ennis couldn't.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **_All that is needed to be known:_

_Jacky Twist II: Jerry Lewis_

_Stephan Del Mar: Dean Martin_

_This is a Martin & Lewis fic._

* * *

**_Chapter Uno_**

_New York City_

It was always unfair when it came to sharing a birthday with a family member who loved the opera. That was how Jack Twist II felt as he pulled at the collar of his tuxedo, sitting there in the stuffy opera house. He and his family had just gotten seated. He leaned forward and saw that his family took up a row and a half where they were sitting. His cousin, Laney, was the birthday girl and was sitting on the front row with her family. Which was just a few rows up from where Jacky was sitting with his parents, his brother and sister, his other aunt and uncle, and the grandparents. Plus a few friends who had come along. He shifted in his seat for the hundredth time it seemed like and tried to settle in for what he knew was going to be the worst night of his life.

_Turning nineteen shouldn't be this dull, _he thought, sending a glare at the back of Laney's head before the lights dimmed and the show started. He looked around, knowing he'd need something to occupy himself with, but he would just have to do with watching the opera. He crossed his arms as he sat there.

Sure, he had had the rest of the day to celebrate his birthday. The opera was only an hour and that was all Laney had for her own birthday. They would also go out for dinner, but Laney and her parents didn't expect everyone to go where they were going. After all, the more people who went, the more expensive it got. And Laney's dad didn't particularly look happy about taking all of these people to the opera. It was the money out of his wallet that was paying for it. And just the three of them was expensive enough.

"Jacky." The quiet voice got Jacky's attention. He turned his head and saw his mom leaning toward him, handing over her phone. She reminded him to be quiet as he took the phone. He didn't have a phone of his own. He wouldn't get one until he got a job. He had gotten a job interview last week, so it was only a matter of time before he was able to get his own phone. He slouched down in his seat as he played on the phone, turning the brightness all the way down so he wouldn't distract anyone from watching the opera.

The music and the singing was starting to lull him to sleep after the first twenty minutes. He yawned a bit loudly by accident and everyone near him scowled at him. He slouched in his seat more and glanced over at his mom, who was hiding a smile. She and dad were always on his side. He didn't have a best friend in the world. He had his parents. And he didn't need anyone else. He was fine with the way his life was going. Even if he did, unfortunately, share a birthday with the one cousin he most despised. And the feeling was mutual.

Jacky got out of the game when he was starting to fall asleep and just started exploring the many apps on the phone. He started from the beginning and opened up each one, playing them as they time went by. He paused when he opened the safari app and saw an Ancestry page open. Mom had been trying to put a family tree together to paint in the hallway of their house, so this didn't surprise him. In fact, it made him curious also about where their family had come from. He looked through what Mom had already found out.

She obviously hadn't been doing it for too long because she hadn't tracked back too far. As far as she had gotten was Jack Twist, the man Jacky was named after. His great-grandfather. It was known that a lot of family members hadn't liked Jack Twist and only because that hatred had gotten passed down from his great-grandmother, Lureen Newsome. But others, like his parents and grandparents, thought the best of Jack Twist. And probably only because everyone else hated him for no apparent reason at all.

He was a bit startled when the lights came on. He put the phone down and sat up, seeing that the show had ended already. He checked his watch. An hour had gone by faster than expected. He smiled then handed his mom her phone then stood as everyone else did, giving the actors and singers a standing ovation. He clapped along with everyone else even though he had no idea what for. He shrugged and clapped, just glad it was finally over.

Jacky followed his family out as they walked single file to the exit. It was a lot cooler out in the lobby and a lot of people hung around talking. The place was up-class enough to have waiters walking around with drinks. Jacky fidgeted from one foot to the other as he stood there, hearing his parents talk with some friends they had spotted. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked around, bored out of his mind. He was ready to go outside. Even though he could see through the large windows at the entrance that it was raining outside. Part of him wanted to go out and play in the rain. No matter how old he got, he was still going to be a kid at heart when it came to certain things.

_Laney certainly wouldn't do such a thing. Which is why she's such a drag. _It was obvious to everyone that Laney was the most mature person around, next to her parents. They were sophisticated and rubbed that into everyone's faces. The family didn't mind because they were used to it, but it was a bad first impression to everyone else.

"Jacky, we're going," Dad said, gesturing for his son to follow. Jacky hurried his pace, heading toward the entrance behind his parents. His brother and sister were staying behind. They would get a ride with grandma and grandpa. His brother, Clark, was twenty-five and lived with their grandparents to take care of them. His sister, Dianne, was twenty-four and lived with her boyfriend. Jacky was the only one still living with mom and dad and so far, it looked as if that would never change.

They stopped just inside the door. Dad headed out to go get the car and pull it out front so they wouldn't have to walk through the rain. Mom was grateful for that, but Jacky went back to his fidgety state. Mom noticed it and hooked her arm through his. Jacky looked at her with a smile and she returned it.

"I'm sorry we couldn't do a lot for your birthday this year," she said, patting his arm with her other hand. "This is just a busy year for us all. And since this is Laney's last birthday before the move..." She didn't finish the thought. It was a bright light ahead for Jacky, knowing that Laney was going to be going to college soon and moving out of New York completely. And hopefully for good. She was planning on becoming an actress and move to California. He had wished her luck when she had announced that earlier this evening, but didn't think anyone in Hollywood would like her enough to put her in their movie or whatever.

"It's okay," Jacky said. "I'm a little disappointed, but I'm gonna have a lot of birthdays after this one, so no biggy." He gave her another big smile then looked forward when he saw the car pull up outside out of the corner of his eye. Dad got out, carrying an umbrella then headed for the entrance.

Jacky walked forward and opened the door as Dad walked in, opening the umbrella. He held it for Mom as they all headed out to the car. Jacky climbed into the backseat, pulling off his tie and coat. He jumped the items on the floor and un-did the first few buttons of his shirt, already feeling more comfortable. He couldn't wait to get back home and into actual comfy clothes.

He leaned forward in his seat as they headed off, away from the opera house. "Do you think I could help you out with your family tree project?" he asked, looking at his mom. She looked over her shoulder at him and actually looked pleased. But, for him, it wasn't hard at all to please her. He was, and always would be, Momma's Boy.

"Of course you can, honey," she said. "If we have nothing planned for tomorrow, we can start working on it in the morning."

Jacky smiled then leaned forward and pecked her on the cheek. "Great!" he said, excitedly then leaned back in his seat and looked out the window, watching the rain.

* * *

_Riverton, Wyoming_

Stephan Del Mar, twenty-two years old, had lived on a ranch his whole life. His parents had inherited it from their grandfather, KE Del Mar and Steve got it when his parents died in a car accident when he was seventeen. He had run everything on his own for a while, but after getting admitted to the hospital from massive exhaustion and a touch of heat stroke, he hired some help. He didn't have any other family, so he just hired strangers. Strangers who quickly became some of his closest friends. They worked together, after all, and his ranch had become the main export of milk, wheat, eggs, and beef for the town of Riverton. They were bringing in a lot of money, but that money was going back out quickly to pay for everything. They only had enough money to get by.

Steve stepped outside, glaring up at the clouds that were forming overhead this morning. He wouldn't be able to take the horses out for an exercise. The horses didn't do anything when it started raining. If they were out, they would only try to get back in the barn. He would have to close up the barn then open the stalls to let the horses move around.

"Gonna have a rough storm," co-foreman Emily Aguirre murmured as she walked up beside him. She leaned against one of the posts that held up the porch roof and watched the clouds in the sky. She was the toughest woman Steve had ever met. She had scared off many a man. She had come to work with Steve because she had gone through a bad relationship and had wanted to run away from her problems. Steve had welcomed her to the ranch and knew he'd never find someone better to work with. Both of them knew nothing romantic would come out of this, which was why they worked so well together. She was dating someone else, anyway.

She looked at him. "Want me to go let the horses out?" she asked.

Steve checked the sky once more then nodded his head. "If it starts rainin', they'll go back inside," he said then looked at her. "Want me to help ya out?"

Emily smiled at him, stepping off the porch. "I got it covered, Steve," she said then headed off to the barn.

Steve stood in the spot she had vacated and looked around what he could see of the ranch. It had grown considerably the last five years. It was a fine establishment. There was about 100 acres of land, so there was enough solitude for anyone who just wanted to get away. There was a great view of the mountains and some of the best sunrises and sunsets to be seen in the country. When his great-grandfather KE owned the place, the house and barn had been rundown and decrepit. KE hadn't been able to do much work before his death. Steve's parents had fixed up the place when their parents didn't want anything to do with it. They had all come from ranch folk, but Steve's grandparents hadn't. They had been an odd couple and very secluded.

He sighed when the rain started coming down. He looked toward the barn and saw Emily standing there, waving him over. He put his hat on his head then stepped off the porch and hurried across to the barn to help her close it up and let the horses out. Thankfully, these days were the only types of bad days here on the ranch.

He wouldn't trade it for anything.

* * *

**to be continued**

**Author's Note: **_I had planned on making Steve Ennis' great-grandson, but decided to go with KE instead. Ennis is Steve's great-uncle. Just to fill in anyone who was curious about Ennis not being mentioned._


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two_**

_New York City_

Jacky got up early the next morning, excited about working on the family tree project. He got dressed as soon as he jumped out of bed and hurried to the kitchen down the hall. The apartment they lived in was cheap and not too big. They had moved here after Clark and Dianne had moved out. There was three bedrooms and two bathrooms. One bathroom was in the master bedroom and the other was between the other two rooms at the end of the hall. Jacky's room was off to the left and the "guest room" was serving as a storage closet. Whenever they had a guest, they'd put them on the pull-out couch in the living room. He rounded the corner then came to a screeching stop in the doorway to the kitchen.

Mom was standing at the stove, drinking her coffee and making breakfast like she always did. Except this time, she was wearing her nurse's garb. She had the graveyard shift at the hospital six days a week while Dad worked days at the bank. Seeing the time, Jacky knew she shouldn't be working right now. In fact she had yesterday, today, and tomorrow off. He didn't say or do anything as he stood there and when she turned and noticed him, she immediately looked guilty.

She turned off the stove and grabbed her coffee. "Please don't give me hell for this, Jacky," she said. "I never know when the hospital might call. And this isn't the first time I've been called in." She took a drink of her coffee as she got plates down out of the cabinets. She only got two plates. Dad was already at work. "I know we had plans, but I told you-"

"It's okay," Jacky said as he walked further into the kitchen. He helped her set the table in silence then sat down as she served out the food.

She sat down across from him. "Are you sure it's okay?" she asked, tilting her head to the side slightly as she looked at him. "I know you were excited about it."

"The project's not going anywhere," Jacky said. "And I can always look stuff up while you're gone."

She smiled, looking less guilty, but it was still there. She hated letting him down and vice versa. "And we'll have all night and tomorrow to work on it," she said. She sighed, looking down at her food. "Still would've been better to do it _all _together, but life's unfair like that."

"Don't beat yourself up about it," Jacky said. He reached across the table and took her hand, getting her attention back on him. "It's fine, really. Okay?" He gave her a smile.

She smiled back and they finished their breakfast. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before she left for work. Jacky stood, taking the plates to the sink and washed the dishes that were there for the next few minutes. Once he was done with that, he went into the living room and sat down in front of the computer.

He opened the Ancestry page and looked over the research Mom had gotten so far. She had been working on this for a while. She had all kinds of details on their family members. Details that weren't needed for the family tree painting in the hallway. She was just curious about their family and that, of course, made him curious also.

He read what she had found, pausing when he came to his great-grandfather, Jack Twist. Had she just stopped with him or had she not been able to find out much about him? Jacky consulted the Ancestry page and found out where Jack Twist had come from: Texas, but he had been born in Wyoming. He came across his great-great-grandparents, seeing that they had lived in Lightning Flat, Wyoming their entire lives. Jacky got bored by then, so went back to Jack Twist.

There wasn't very many details there, which irked Jacky. He wanted to know more about the man he was named after. His great-grandfather's life was a mystery. A mystery Jacky wanted to solve for selfish reasons, but was that a crime? It wasn't a crime to know more about his family. It _should _be a crime that everyone was making getting those details so difficult. Was the only way to find out _anything _to be to actually _go _to Wyoming?

Jacky sat back away from the computer, knowing a trip from New York to Wyoming would be a long one. And he didn't have the money for a flight. Would driving be cheaper? He didn't know. He had never gone anywhere. The only time he and his family went on vacation was to see Niagara Falls. They had camped out for an entire week then.

But this wouldn't be camping. If he went, he'd stay in a hotel. He could always pack his own food to save some money. Even if he had to, he could always sleep out in the car.

Was he actually considering this trip?

Jacky got out of his seat and ran into his room, pulling out the box he kept under his bed. He opened it and counted the money he had stashed there. He had earned the money doing some odds and ends jobs for the people in the building. They mostly hired him to babysit and that paid better than anything else.

Unfortunately, he didn't have enough money for a plane ticket to Wyoming and back. He didn't even know if he had enough for one way. He tried figuring out gas prices between here and there, but that was harder than counting the money. He put the money away, thinking that he would just have to talk to Mom and Dad later tonight over dinner.

Hopefully they'd see things his way.

* * *

_Wyoming_

Steve was working out in the barn that afternoon when he heard footsteps behind him. He glanced over his shoulder once and saw Emily then looked back forward to continue milking the cow. Due to his case of heat stroke, there was usually someone else out here in the afternoons to do these jobs. The doc had told him not to work out in the sun for more than a couple of hours a day. He tried listening to the doctor, but he just couldn't stand being indoors all day long.

"You're not supposed to be out here," Emily said as if reading his mind. She was always trying to take care of him after his visit to the hospital. He was always showing her that he was fine, but she was still cautious about his health. Which was a good thing. He could rely on her if anything ever happened to him. So why should he be worried about working in the sun?

"I ain't in direct sunlight," Steve said, grabbing his bucket as he got to his feet. He gestured around the barn. "I can work fine in here."

"It's hotter in here than out there," Emily said, nodding toward the yard outside. She grabbed the rope that was tied to the cow and led the animal outside to the trough then came back. "I don't want you endin' up back in the hospital."

Steve set the bucket down where some fellas would pick it up later along with the box of eggs sitting there. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants then turned to her. "I know what I'm doin'," he said, walking past her. "You don't have to baby me."

"Someone's gotta," Emily said, following him out of the barn. "Sure, you have a lot of friends, but you still keep to yourself. And you always run off somewhere without tellin' people where you're goin'. What if something happens and no one can find you?"

Steve stopped and turned to her. "Everybody keeps forgetting that I only had a _touch _of heat stroke," he said. "Nothin' dangerous. In fact, me not workin' in direct sunlight for more than a couple of hours wasn't really a demand from the doctor. Just a suggestion."

"Because he don't want it to get worse," Emily said then crossed her arms. "He wants ya to stay healthy and so does everyone else here on the ranch. Is that so bad?"

"If you keep babying me."

Emily smiled with a slight sigh. "All right, we'll quit babyin' you," she said, uncrossing her arms as she stepped toward him. She laid her hand on his arm. "Why don't we go get somethin' to eat? It's bout nigh supper time." She gave his arm a gentle squeeze then walked past him and headed toward the house.

Steve followed.

* * *

_New York City_

Jacky sat at the table, picking at his food. Mom was still at the hospital and Dad had brought home pizza for supper. He had wanted to tell them about his possible trip, but that was hard to do with only one parent present. He could always tell his dad and bring in Mom later, but he honestly wanted to tell Mom first. After all, she was the one that had started the family tree project. Dad was interested, but he was always too busy to deal with it.

"Are you feeling all right, Jack?" Dad asked after a few minutes of silence. "You've hardly ate anything."

"I'm feeling all right," Jacky said, his eyes never leaving his slice of pizza. He had only taken a couple of bites. "Just don't have an appetite, that's all."

"Disappointed about Mom?" Dad asked. "She said she'd be back in time for supper-"

"She does a good thing with her job," Jacky said then finally looked over at his dad. "It's just...I had something important to tell both of you and I really wanted to bring it up tonight. But Mom's not home, so..." He trailed off, looking back down at his food.

"How important is it?" Dad asked. "You can tell me, you know that."

Jacky sighed then looked back at his dad. "Well, I've been planning a trip all day," he said, shifting a bit nervously in his seat. "I was thinking that maybe if I do a few more extra jobs this week, I'd be able to go. I haven't yet decided to take a plane or drive over there."

"Where exactly do you wanna go?"

"Wyoming."

"What for?"

"It's where my great-grandfather came from," Jacky said. "I know I can get a bit obsessive over things, but this is different. This is part of my past and I wanna know more about the man I was named after."

"I can't argue with that," Dad said. "But, your mom and I probably won't be able to get the time off to go."

"Oh, that's fine," Jacky said. "I was mostly thinking that I'd make the trip on my own."

Dad was silent for a moment. "On your own?" he asked. Jacky understood why he was hesitant about this. Jacky never liked going anywhere by himself. He had been fine during his job interview because he knew the person and it was only about a block or two from the apartment. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

Jacky nodded. "I don't think I've ever been more sure of anything in my life," he said.

"Why don't we wait until your mother gets home to decide, officially, on anything?"

Jacky nodded once more. 'Yes, sir," he said then went back to eating, pretty sure Mom would be on his side when she got home.

* * *

"Wyoming?" Mom asked when Jacky had told her everything. "I really don't mind, but you want to go alone? And so far?" She had entirely different reasons than Dad as to why she didn't want Jacky to go. After all, Jacky was her baby.

"It'd only be for a few days, maybe," Jacky said. "I can always call you if I decide to stay longer. And you'd be fine with that, right?" He was an adult, but since he still lived with his parents, he wanted their approval for anything he did. He wasn't the rebellious type. He got nervous just thinking about the idea of doing something wrong.

"I want to be fine with it," Mom said then walked over to him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I guess this is something you have to do, huh?" He nodded. She cupped his cheeks in her hands. "My boy is growing up so fast." She pulled him in for a hug. "But you don't have to worry about getting extra jobs. Your father and I will give you whatever money you need." She pulled back and looked at him with a smile. "The only thing I need you to do while your gone is call often. You know how worried I get."

"Don't I need a phone?"

"We'll go out and get you one tonight," Mom said. Jacky smiled and looked at Dad, who nodded his agreement. "You better start packing."

Jacky hugged his mom then ran over to dad and hugged him also then turned and hurried off down the hall to his room, excited.

* * *

**to be continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter Three_**

_New York City_

Jacky stood there and endured. His mom was gushing over him right there in the terminal. He hunkered down a bit as passersby stared. Mom was being just a tad excessive with her kisses and hugs and reminders and anything else she could think of to drop on him in that moment. No, he didn't think she was _trying _to embarrass him, but she was doing a bang-up job of doing just that. He tried to hide his face, but she just grabbed his wrists and kissed him right on the nose. Thankfully he wasn't blushing. Was he blushing? _Am I blushing?!_

"Mom," Jacky said when she had grabbed his face, planting kisses all over his face. Dad was just standing there as if interrupting was something _bad. _"Mom...mom..." He grabbed her arms gently and pushed her away. She still had a hold of his face and their arms were both stretched out to each other. "Mom."

"Don't forget to brush your teeth," she said for probably the hundredth time. Did she not realize what she was doing? Sure, they had never been apart like this before, but did it really need all of this? There were probably a lot of people walking by staring at them that would be on his flight. What then? _Was _she trying to embarrass him?

"Would you...could you...couldja please release the face?" Jacky asked, trying to be patient with her. He wasn't really excited about leaving and going off on his own, but another part was excited about where he was going. He rubbed his jaw when she finally let go. "Thank you."

"Don't forget to call."

"I won't."

"You won't call?" She sounded frantic.

"I won't forget."

"Oh." Immense relief in her voice. "Don't forget-"

"I got it all in my head," Jacky said, seeing that she wasn't very assured by that. He kissed her on the cheek. "Everything's going to be fine and I'll be back before you know it." He gave her a hug and she held on for a tad longer before letting go. He smiled at her then gave his dad a hug. They said a few more goodbyes then Jacky went to board the plane.

He stood in line at the security check, watching as his bag went on ahead of him. He inched forward bit by bit behind everyone, watching as they stepped inside some sort of machine and were scanned. He gulped rather loudly then pulled off his rings and his watch then his shoes, setting them in a pan that followed after his carryon bag. And then it was his turn to step inside the machine.

The security guard gestured him to enter. Jacky stepped forward then found himself easing back a few steps without thinking about it. He looked at the security guard, who looked impatient and waved him forward. "I'm nervous," he murmured, stepping forward once again. "It's my first flight." When he looked at the security guard again, he started backing up once more. He could see the security guard getting suspicious now. If he didn't get in that machine now, he knew he'd be frisked quite thoroughly. And the thought of people's hands on him...

He practically jumped into the machine then stood as directed, arms straight out to the sides, legs slightly parted. Without moving. He stood there for what seemed like forever before they were done. He stepped out and over to his things, fumbling with his rings and watch. He ended up putting his shoes on the wrong feet. He didn't bother with changing it. He grabbed his carry-on bag and ran toward the gate he was supposed to be at.

When it was finally time to board the plane, Jacky had his ticket ready as he walked on. He found his seat on the plane, storing his bag in the over head compartment then sat down in the window seat and looked out.

He was finally on his way.

* * *

_Wyoming_

Jacky had fallen asleep on the plane then woke up when they landed in Wyoming. He had a difficult time renting a car, but they finally let him have one. He "forgot" to thank them as he headed out on the road. He didn't know what to do when the GPS couldn't find Lightning Flat so, he just took a road and started down it, not knowing where he was going. But he was being confident about it.

After about an hour or so of driving, he pulled into the town of Riverton. He parked at a gas station to fill up then headed inside to ask for directions. No one at the gas station knew, but they told him that he could find a map at the store. He wasn't even going to ask why the gas station didn't have a map. He just left. He left the car parked at the gas station then headed across the street to the store.

Jacky looked around the store, grabbing a few snacks before he finally found a map. Arms full of junk food, he headed for the registers and stood in line behind a guy who was buying enough food to last a month or two. "You must be packin' some dough!" he said then clamped a hand over his mouth when he realized he had just said that out loud. The guy turned and Jacky looked down to avoid eye contact and saw that he had lost half of his items. He lowered both arms then stopped when he realized what he had just done. Everything but the map was in the floor.

"They have shopping carts for a reason," the man said then turned back to the cashier and picked back up on whatever idle chat they had been having.

Jacky mouthed the man's words in a mocking manner then picked up his items and set them on the belt. He opened the map as he stood there waiting then looked over it after a few minutes when he realized that they weren't moving forward at all.

The man was flirting with the cashier. And she didn't mind and didn't care about anything else.

Jacky folded the map up and set it down then cleared his throat. He was going to point out that there were more people waiting, but no one was standing in line behind him. He placed his hands on his hips and kicked at the floor, looking around. He crossed his arms and looked at the two, who were practically batting their eyes at each other. It made him sick.

"Excuse me," Jacky said, taking on a prim and proper voice. As expected, that got their attention. "I'm on a rather tight schedule. So, if you could please..." He gestured to the man's items. He smiled and said "Thank you" when she got back to work. He looked at the guy, who was staring at him with his arms crossed. The smile left his face and he looked away, avoiding eye contact.

"You're not gonna apologize?"

"Me?" Jacky asked then looked back at the guy. "What for? I wasn't the one holding things up. I'm just tryin' to get on my merry little way. That a crime here?"

"Should be," the guy said. "You were rude."

"Me rude?" Jacky raised his eyebrows, appalled. "Says the guy who was purposefully holdin' things up just 'cause a pretty girl noticed him." He took on a fake tough guy act. "Listen, buddy," He pointed at the guy's head. "if you don't start thinkin' with your brain instead of your-" He stopped as his hand started moving down. He continued with the movement, swinging his arm around behind him, laughing nervously. He turned away, coughing.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Jack Twist II," Jacky said, turning back. Thankfully, the cashier was almost done. Soon this guy would be gone and Jacky's embarrassment would be over. He could never learn to keep his mouth shut. "What's yours?"

"Steve."

"No last name?"

"Del Mar," Steve said as he turned back to the cashier, giving her a dazzling smile. She blushed, but continued working. "You ain't from around here, are ya?" He looked back at Jacky, who shook his head. "Where ya from?"

"New York."

"What're you doin' way out here?"

"My great-grandfather lived around here," Jacky said, the embarrassment he had suffered momentarily forgotten. "In Lightning Flat. Ever heard of it?"

Steve nodded. "Lightning Flat's a ghost town," he said. "Ain't no one been there in years."

"Oh," Jacky said, disappointed. "I was tryin' to find out more about him. I was named after him, y'see. Hardly anyone in the family liked him. I thought coming out here would provide some answers, but I guess not. Turns out it was a wasted trip." He sighed.

"Maybe not," Steve said, pulling out his wallet to pay the girl. "What'd your great-granddad do?"

"He was a salesman," Jacky said. "And before that he was a rodeo cowboy. Other than that, I don't know. Which is why I came all the way out here."

Steve paid her then put his wallet away and turned to Jacky. "There used to be a lot of rodeos out around here back in the day," he said. "You can go by the library and pull up some old newspapers. I'm sure they'll have somethin' in there."

"Uh, thanks," Jacky said, grateful. "That would help out a lot." He smiled.

"Don't mention it," Steve said. He said goodbye to the cashier then pushed his cart full of items out of the store.

* * *

**to be continued**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

After he had left the store, Jacky took his bags to his car then had driven to a hotel and checked in for the next few days. Then he had called his parents to let them know he was doing fine and his mom didn't let him off the phone for a couple of hours. She started asking a bunch of questions. Most of the questions were just about how well he was taking care of himself. He didn't mention that all he had bought so far was an armful of junk food. He assured her he'd call her again sometime then hung up and left the hotel.

It didn't take him long to find the library and half an hour later, he was sitting at a table with a bunch of old newspapers in front of him. He had read over each one for the next hour or so, but didn't find anything about Jack Twist. There were rodeo announcements, but nothing more. He wasn't going to get anywhere with these newspapers. For all he knew, Jack Twist might've gone down to Texas for all his rodeos. He carefully gathered up all of the newspapers and handed them back in.

He needed something new to follow.

Jacky walked over to the computers at the far wall of the library and sat down at one of them. He brought up a search engine and typed in Jack Twist along with his birth year: 1944. What came up was a birth certificate. He searched a little further and found a marriage license. Jack Twist and Lureen Newsome had gotten married in Texas. Part of him was thinking that he should probably head down to Texas if he wanted to learn anything, but he didn't want to come across the Newsome family. After all, they were the side of his family that didn't like Jack Twist. He searched more and found a death certificate. Jack Twist died in 1983 at the age of 39. No cause of death. That was odd.

He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw the librarian, who immediately apologized for scaring him. "Are you finding everything okay?" she asked. "You've been here for quite a while. Is there anything specific you're looking for?"

"Just trying to dig up family history," Jacky said, his heart still pounding against his chest. He looked at the computer then back at her. "I won't need any help."

She nodded her head. "Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me," she said then smiled at him and turned and walked off.

Jacky watched her go then turned back to the computer to continue his search. Signal, Wyoming came up and he clicked on that. Jack Twist had worked for Joe Aguirre two years herding sheep up on Brokeback Mountain. This was just a record of it and that second year caught his attention. Jack Twist had worked with Ennis Del Mar. Steve Del Mar _had _to be a relative. He closed the window, knowing where he needed to go now.

He got to his feet and walked over to the librarian's desk. She looked up when he approached. "On second thought," he started. "There might be something you can help me with. Do you know where I can find Steve Del Mar?"

"At his ranch, naturally," the librarian said. "His partner will be in town this afternoon. You could talk to her. I've lived here a while, but don't know how to get to that place."

"Where will she be?"

"She comes in with a load of stuff for the store," she said. "She'll be at the back of the store around four o'clock. You can catch her then."

Jacky looked at his watch and saw that it was already half past three. He looked back at her. "Thank you," he said. He smiled at her then turned and hurried out of the library.

* * *

Steve made it back to the ranch and Emily was there to help him unload everything. He saw that her truck was already out front ready to go even though she wouldn't be leaving for another hour or so. When they had everything inside, they started unpacking everything and storing them in the proper places in the kitchen. The kitchen was stocked full of everything. They barely had enough space for the silverware and plates and stuff.

"Everything already loaded in the truck?" Steve asked, storing the empty store bags in a drawer by the fridge. He closed the drawer then turned to her, seeing her nodding. "Should've waited for me. I could've helped."

Emily gave him that "I'm-Babying-You" look then grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge. "We handled it just fine," she said. "Our boys did most of the work anyway. I was just supervising." She smiled then opened the bottle and took a swig.

"You always make me feel so completely helpless around here and I don't like it," Steve said, feeling riled up. He had had such a good morning so far. He was the one practically ruining it. It wasn't Emily's fault. "It's my ranch, after all."

"Our ranch," Emily reminded him. "I'm gonna go ahead and head into town." She walked over to where the phone hung on the wall and grabbed her keys from the hook there. She looked back at him with another smile. "Do what you want while I'm gone. The horses might need brushin' if no one's out there." She waved as she left.

Steve sighed, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms. He looked around with slight hopes that he'd have to clean the kitchen just so he could do something, but the place was practically spotless. He pushed away from the counter and headed outside in time to see Emily driving off the ranch. He watched her go then headed over to the barn. Brushed already or not, he was going to do it anyway.

* * *

Jacky was sitting on a barrel at the back of the store. He checked his watch again and saw that it was slowly creeping on to four. He had only been sitting here for about ten minutes. He sighed impatiently and looked away from his watch. He jumped to his feet when he saw a truck pulling up. She was early! He didn't care about that. He was just glad he wouldn't have to wait any longer.

He stood by as she pulled up and parked then got out. She didn't look his way as she walked to the back of the truck and opened it. A few men came out of the store and started unloading boxes, taking them back in the store. She stood by in the shade, supervising from what Jacky could see. Once she was satisfied, she just stood by quiet and let the men do the job.

Jacky moved forward, but found that he was frozen in place. He was nervous and excited and didn't know what to say to her. He couldn't let her leave though. And any minute now, the men could finish unloading and his chance would be gone. He reached around behind him and pinched himself, jumping forward and that helped him get walking over there.

She turned her head when she heard him approaching and his step faltered. He stopped before he could trip over himself. He smiled and waved. "Hi," he said.

She gave him a pleasant smile. "Hi," she said. "Somethin' I can help you with?"

Jacky nodded. "I'm looking for Steve Del Mar," he replied. "I met him this morning. The lady at the library said you could help me find him. You being his partner and all."

She turned to him, ignoring the men moving back and forth behind her. "What's your name?"

"Jack Twist II," Jacky replied. "Everyone calls me Jacky." Just his family because he didn't really have friends, but he wasn't going to tell her that. He got embarrassed easily. He had proved that this morning.

"Jack Twist?" she repeated.

"Yeah," Jacky said with a nod. "Why?"

"I came across something the other day with that name," she replied. "My folks were going through some old records of my great-granddad's."

"He wouldn't be Joe Aguirre by any chance, would he?"

"Actually, yes," she said with a nod. "I'm Emily Aguirre. How do you know about my great-granddad?"

"I found those records on the computer," Jacky said. "Which is why I wanna talk to Steve. My great-grandfather worked with Ennis Del Mar, who I think is related to Steve."

"Ennis was Steve's great-uncle," Emily said. She crossed her arms, a slight amused expression on her face. "Do you wanna ride to the ranch?"

"Oh, certainly," Jacky said, nodding his head.

"Well, you cain't really come over right now," Emily said. "Steve would beat me if I brought someone unannounced. How about you come over for dinner tonight? I can have one of the boys come down and pick you up around six?"

Jacky was a bit disappointed that he wouldn't be going now, but she had a point. He nodded his head once again. "That sounds fine with me," he said. "I'm staying at the hotel." It was the only hotel in town, so he didn't have to specify which.

Emily smiled more. "See ya later tonight, Jacky," she said.

* * *

"You invited him?"

"What else was I supposed to do?" Emily asked. "As you just told me, he's tryin' to find out about his family. You're obviously a key to that."

Steve turned to her, shaking his head. They were standing in the living room. "No, Ennis Del Mar is," he said. "And I don't know a damned thing about the man! You're the one who found out that he worked for Aguirre."

Emily crossed her arms. "There's gotta be somethin' about him that you know," she said. "I believe you do. Even if you don't, Jacky's still comin'. He's a nice kid." She winked at him. "And pretty cute."

Steve gestured to her with both arms outstretched. "Why the look?" he asked. "I know what the kid looks like. I met him first!" He lowered his arms. "And I think he's a nutjob. You should've seen him at the store."

"He's coming to supper and there ain't nothin' you can do to change that," Emily said. "And you're not weaslin' your way outta it. You're gonna sit there and be nice. And answer any question he may have for you. Ya understand?"

"Oh, I understand," Steve said with a nod. "And by that look you're settin' me up!"

"Ain't no harm in that."

"I'm not that kinda guy, Em."

"Gay?" Emily asked. "That's a load of hooey."

"Bisexual," Steve corrected. That wasn't a secret around the ranch and wasn't a big deal. "I'm a loner. I don't settle down."

"You've settled down here with me," Emily reminded him.

"Yeah, but we ain't a thing," Steve said. "And if you try anything tonight-"

"I'll keep my mouth shut," Emily said with a smile. "I have to go start supper." She patted him on the arm then turned and left the room. Steve shook his head with another sigh and sat down on the couch.

* * *

**to be continued...**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Chapter Five_**

Jacky stood in the bathroom of his hotel room, just staring at himself. He wasn't dressed up, but after living in the city where any outing was fancy, forced a habit into him. Most of his wardrobe consisted of suits and tuxes. He was wearing his most casual suit right now. He reached up and unbuttoned the top two buttons then just took off the jacket. He hung the jacket on the hook on the door then folded his sleeves up a bit. He turned back and forth in front of the mirror and frowned. He still looked like he was going to spend his evening in a restaurant in New York City. But it would have to do.

He turned and left the bathroom when the room's phone started ringing. He looked at his watch and saw that it was already five minutes until six. He sat down on the bed and grabbed the phone and answered it. "Yes?" he inquired.

_"There's a couple of men downstairs asking for you," _the voice replied. _"They tell me they're your ride."_

"Yeah, thank you, I'll be right down," Jacky said then hung up the phone and stood. He grabbed his wallet and the room key and stuffed them in his pockets as he left the room, grabbing his suit jacket out of the bathroom on his way out. He didn't forget to turn off the lights. He stepped into the elevator and rode down one floor to the lobby and stepped out, heading for the entrance.

Two men were standing right outside as he walked out. He looked at the truck they had come in and gave a slight frown. They introduced themselves then climbed into the cabin of the truck. Jacky got in after them and hugged his jacket against his chest as he sat there, practically squished against the door. It wasn't that big of a truck and definitely a way of travel he wasn't used to.

The drive to the ranch wasn't particularly long, but the road was rough, which made the driver move slower and Jacky was practically bouncing all over the cabin. Around 6:45 they were at the ranch and Jacky was relived when he got out of the truck and stood on shaky legs. He could still feel the road. He looked down and saw that he was gripping his jacket tightly. He loosened his grip, his fingers aching.

"Jacky!"

Jacky turned at the sound of Emily's voice and watched as she walked over. He looked over his shoulder once as the two men headed off to do their job. He looked back at Emily. "Thanks for inviting me," he said. "To tell you the truth, I wasn't even sure if I'd get anything to eat tonight."

Emily hooked her arm through his and led him toward the house. "Don't thank me," she said. "You should be thanking Ennis Del Mar. If you hadn't've ever learned of that name, you wouldn't have sought Steve out and you wouldn't have met me at the store."

Jacky raised his eyebrows just slightly. "Can't I just thank you for making the food, then?"

Emily laughed then headed inside with Jacky by her side. She led him to the kitchen where Steve was standing at the stove, cooking what smelled like bacon. Emily cleared her throat, getting Steve's attention. Steve looked over at them then shut the stove off and turned. He only glanced at Jacky once and Jacky found that that bothered him deeply.

"Supper all ready?" Emily asked.

Steve stepped over to the table, looking at her. And only her. "Shouldn't you know?" he asked. "You prepared most of it." He pulled out a chair and slid into it.

Emily placed her hand on Jacky's arm. "Ain't you gonna greet our guest?" she asked.

Steve finally looked at Jacky. "Evenin'," he said. There eyes met for a brief moment before Steve looked away. "Let's get to eatin'. I'm starved!"

Jacky took a seat at the table as Emily went to get whatever it was off the stove. Steve already had himself a pile of food on his plate. Jacky reached forward to help himself then stopped when Emily came back over and did it for him. He smiled sheepishly then dung in when he got his food.

"So, Jacky," Emily said once she had gotten her own food and sat down. "Where ya from?"

Jacky looked across the table at her. "New York City," he said. "I live there with my family. Mom, Dad, brother, sister." He mentally facepalmed himself. He had said that as if they didn't know what a family was.

Emily smiled, amused, but in a good way. "And what brings ya to Wyoming?" she asked.

"Family," Jacky said. He looked over at Steve. "I learned about your great-uncle today."

"Did you," Steve said, uninterested. He stared down at his food while he ate.

"Which is actually why I'm here," Jacky said. He looked over at Emily. "I asked her to help me find you." He looked back at Steve. "So I can solve a mystery."

"That's what it's turned into?"

"It was always that."

Steve looked at Jacky, leaning forward and propping his arms on the table. "Ennis Del Mar was a drunk," he said then looked at Emily. "Yes, I _do _know quite a bit about Ennis." He looked back at Jacky. "My great-grandfather tried to reconcile with him. Ennis was a loner except when it came to his daughters. They were his life. No one and nothing else was. He treated my great-grandfather as if they were no longer brothers. That solve your mystery?"

Jacky had leaned back in his seat and looked down at his food. "I was only going to ask about a job he did with Jack Twist on Brokeback Mountain back in the summer of 1963," he said, looking back at Steve. "_That's _my family story."

"Invent a time machine," Steve said. "I don't know what the hell happened back then. What makes you think you're gonna learn anything?"

"I'm hopeful," Jacky said. "There's gotta be something around that no one knows about."

"Then how're you gonna find that?"

Jacky had no answer for that.

"You're chasin' shadows, kid," Steve said. "Brokeback Mountain's a resort now. Maybe you can go there and learn somethin'." He looked back down at his food and continued eating.

"Guess I won't be learning anything anywhere," Jacky said. He looked across the table at Emily. "Sorry if my leaving is rude." He stood and turned then walked out.

* * *

Steve looked up when Jacky walked out then saw Emily's hard stare on him. "What?" he asked. He waved in the direction Jacky had gone. "He's the one that left."

"Because you just dashed all his hopes of finding out about his family," Emily said. She also gestured in the direction the kid had gone. "Go talk to him."

Steve sighed, standing up. "I don't even know the guy and you expect-"

"And be nice."

Steve glared at her then turned and headed outside. He found Jacky standing over by the truck. He was wearing the suit jacket now and stood with his back straight, leaning his side against the truck. "The truck might dirty up those fancy clothes you've got on," he said, getting Jacky's attention.

Jacky didn't move away from the truck. "I need a new suit anyway," he said, looking over at Steve.

Steve slipped his hands into his pockets. "Sorry 'bout what I said in there," he said. "I was outta line and shouldn't have treated you like that."

"Emily put you up to this?"

"Emily just told me to talk to you," Steve said. "The apology is all me." He ran his tongue along his bottom lip as he looked Jacky up and down. "Do you shop for yourself?"

Jacky looked down at himself, obviously searching for what was wrong with what he was wearing. Steve was going to tell him that nothing was wrong with it. He looked good in it. A bit too dressed up for a ranch, but he pulled it off and looked natural. "I was thinkin' I could go out to town tomorrow and buy you some new clothes," Steve explained. "If you're gonna be stayin' in Wyoming for a while, you need somethin' more comfortable."

"That's real nice of you and all," Jacky said, pushing away from the truck and uncrossing his arms. "But I can't accept something I can't give back. You buy me new clothes, I have no way of paying you back."

"You don't have to," Steve said. "Which is why gifts were invented."

"That's probably not why gifts-"

"And while we're out, I'll help you find more about your great-granddad and my great-uncle," Steve said. For some reason, he was interested in learning the story of their family members. They had a connection. "You gonna come back in for supper? You're still welcome."

"Really?"

Steve pointed at himself. "Is this a face that would lie to you?" he asked, lowering his hand.

Jacky shrugged. "I don't even know you, so I have no idea," he said.

"Let's go back inside."

* * *

**to be continued...**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Chapter Six_**

The next morning, Jacky got up extra early even though it wasn't needed. He wouldn't be seeing Steve until 10:15. He walked over to his suitcase sitting on the floor and dropped down to his knees and opened it. He wrote down the sizes of everything he owned just in case. He and Steve were going shopping for clothes. It was something he'd be needing. Once he was finished, he closed the suitcase, not even thinking about the fact that he hadn't even unpacked yet, and stood, straightening his pant leg.

He walked into the bathroom and brushed his teeth. When he was finished, he put everything back into his travel bag then put that bag with his suitcase. He was planning on staying here for a while, but felt as if unpacking meant this was a permanent move. He didn't want to feel that way. This way, it just felt as if he was on another vacation with his parents. He didn't know why that was, but seeing things still packed up and ready to go, it felt as if his parents were here in the hotel, right next door to his own room.

He sighed, missing them, but it was too early to call. After a graveyard shift at the hospital, Mom wouldn't be up for another few hours. And Dad had probably already left for work. Jacky sat down on the bed, hands clasped between his knees, then glanced over at the clock sitting on the night stand. It was only a little after seven now. He could always go back to bed and sleep till ten o'clock, but knew he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep now that he had been up and around for a while. He sighed once more.

Jacky got up and headed downstairs for some breakfast, thinking his mom cooking him something and putting it in the fridge the night before so he could have breakfast in the mornings whenever she couldn't be there. Getting breakfast here at the hotel made him miss his mom even more. He took a deep, shaky breath, then took his food to one of the tables and sat down. He just stared down at his food as other people came down for breakfast. He glanced up at the TV once, but it was only playing the news. He looked back down at his food.

And found that he no longer had an appetite. He hadn't even taken a bite. His stomach was nauseous at just the thought of eating this. He looked around then grabbed his plate and just threw it all away, not caring if anyone saw him throw so much food away. He placed his hand on the wall, leaning against his arm as he took a few deep breaths to let the nausea pass. He didn't know why he was feeling so sick. He hadn't ate anything bad. Maybe he had just gotten up too early. Yeah, that had to be it. He pushed away from the wall, planning on laying down for a while. He took a step forward...

Then passed out.

* * *

Emily got the call, but she sent Steve into town. She had probably gotten more details, but all Steve knew was that Jacky was in the hospital. Part of him had wished he had forced Emily to go, but seeing as how he would have been spending all day with the kid anyway, it made sense for him to go. Not the most sympathetic train of thought, but it was hard for him to worry about someone who was almost a complete stranger.

Steve walked into the hospital and asked about Jacky and was told that the doctor wanted to see him and directed him to Jacky's room. When Steve got there, the doc was waiting outside the room.

"Sorry for pulling you away from the ranch, Steve," the doctor said. He nodded toward the room. "The kid said he knew you when he came to."

"Came to?" Steve asked, glancing toward the room before looking back at the doctor. "What happened?"

"He had a severe episode of homesickness," the doctor said. Steve just stared at him. "I _have _seen it happen before. Mostly with people who have never been away from their parents for more than a couple of hours." He hooked a thumb toward the room. "This young man is _very _sheltered."

Steve nodded. He hadn't really gotten that feeling from Jacky yesterday, but the trip away from his parents probably hadn't fully settled in until today. "He's gonna be okay though, right?" he asked, glancing once toward the room. Why was he worried now? It was nothing to be worried about._  
_

The doctor nodded his head. "I recommend that he stay with someone he knows," he said. "And since he knows you..."

Steve nodded once more. "I'll let him stay at the ranch," he said. It was the least he could do. And he was already going to do so much for the kid. Letting him stay at the ranch would make things simpler anyway. "Is he allowed to go?"

"After he finishes his food," the doc said. "He needs something in his system to settle his stomach or else he'll be right back where he is right now." He patted Steve on the arm then walked off.

Steve watched him go then stepped toward the door, opened it, and walked in. Jacky turned his head as he walked in and waved then went right back to eating. Steve walked over and sat down on the chair by the bed.

"Homesickness, huh?" Steve asked. Jacky's chewing slowly came to a stop. "But, I've got ya beat. Last time I was here, it was for massive exhaustion and a touch of heat stroke."

Jacky took a drink of milk then wiped his mouth. "Homesickness is the lamest reason for being admitted to a hospital," he said, his lips pouting just slightly. "My own fault. I kept thinking about home."

"Which is why you're gonna stay at the ranch while you're out here," Steve said. Jacky looked at him with surprise. "It's either that, or you have another case of homesickness and wake up here again."

"Waking up here wasn't so bad," Jacky said. He gave a slight smile. "The bed's are softer." He had an adorable way of talking and Steve quickly pushed that thought deep into the back of his mind. He looked at Steve. "Did the doctor say I get to go?"

Steve nodded. "Just as soon as you finish breakfast," he said, pointing at the tray in front of Jacky. "We're gonna have to postpone shopping for later tonight. I was pulled away from some chores that I need to get back to and you need to get some rest."

Jacky sighed, looking back at his food. "Would it be strange to admit that I was lookin' forward to shopping with you?" he asked, looking back at Steve. In his eyes was the essence of pure innocence. There was no deeper meaning behind his words. Just by that one question, Steve knew that Jacky didn't have any friends back in New York.

Steve smiled. "I was looking forward to it, too, pal," he said, seeing Jacky's face light up. "Hurry up and eat so we can get going."

Jacky looked at his food. "It's gonna take me days to eat all of this," he said. "I think this is just the doctor's way of telling you that I'm gonna be staying here for a long time."

Steve stood up and sat down on the bed beside Jacky across the food tray in front of him. "Good thing I didn't eat much breakfast then," he said then grabbed a slice of toast off the tray.

Jacky looked at him. He didn't say anything, just smiled.

* * *

**_To be continued..._**


	7. Chapter 7

**_Chapter Seven_**

Jacky got a ride with Steve to the hotel to grab his things then they headed out to the ranch. And the moment they got there, Steve left Jacky with Emily then went to do whatever chores he had been doing. Emily had assured him that everything was being taken care of, but Steve still went off. Jacky didn't say anything about how quickly Steve had left and felt just the slightest twinge that Steve didn't really want to be around him. He hadn't acted that way at the hospital. Unless Jacky had just been reading his kindness completely wrong.

Emily led the way inside and up the stairs to the room he would be staying in. She opened the door and walked in, not bothering with turning on the light. The sun shining in through the window provided enough. All that was in the room was a bed and a few boxes that were being used as storage. "This is the only room that has it's own bathroom," she explained, gesturing toward a door that was next to the closet. "But the shower in there doesn't work. You'll have to use the main one downstairs." She looked at Jacky. "Hope you don't mind sharing one bathroom."

"Oh, I'm used to it," Jacky assured her with a nod of his head. "There's only one bathroom in the apartment back home." But, only three people lived there now and those three people were never using the bathroom at the same time because of jobs. Well, Jacky had always had access to it at any time of the day because he was the one that was always at home. He walked over to the bed and set his suitcase down.

"If you want, I can have one of the guys move a dresser into here," Emily offered. She crossed her arms, nodding toward the closet. "Unless you're fine with the closet."

"I'm fine with the closet," Jacky said, not really planning on unpacking anyway. The thought of unpacking was one of the things that had put him into the hospital anyway. He cleared his throat and turned away from the bed.

"Lunch is around one o'clock," Emily said. "The guys are havin' a cookout at the barn. You can get acquainted with some of them. They'll certainly make you feel at home. Of course..." She gave a small chuckle. "...not as well as Steve could." Before he could wonder what she meant by that, she went on, "Just make yourself at home. Roam around if you'd like. Just don't get in anyone's way." She smiled. "Unless it's Steve." She turned and left the room before he could say anything.

Jacky shook his head then turned back to the bed. He picked up his suitcase and carried it over to the closet. He set it on the floor in the closet then pulled out his phone as he closed the closet door. He checked the time then called Mom, who picked up on the first ring as if she had been staring at the phone, expecting his call.

"Are you all right?" she asked, frantic. "You had me so worried! I kept trying to call, but it kept going to voice mail! I didn't think I'd have to remind you to keep your phone on and everything."

"I'm all right," Jacky assured her, not really wanting to tell her about his episode earlier this morning. She would either force him to come home, or she'd be coming here after him. He wasn't sure if he wanted either situation to occur, but he didn't want her to worry either. "I've just been tied up all morning. I'm staying with some friends."

"Friends?" Mom asked. "You've barely been there two days!" Even so, she sounded happy for him. "What are these friends like?"

"Oh, they're the greatest!" Jacky said, poking his head into the bathroom. It was pretty small and there were more boxes piled up in the shower. "Steve and Emily. They own and run a ranch outside of town. They're really nice and Steve offered to help me out with finding out more about my great-grandfather."

"That's swell, sweetheart," Mom said. "I'm glad you're having a good time and things are going so great! If only I could be there with you. I miss you so much. So does your father."

"I miss you guys, too," Jacky said, stepping away from the bathroom. He walked over to the window and looked out, seeing Steve outside guiding a horse into the barn. "I wish you could meet these people."

"Maybe one day I will," Mom said.

"Maybe," Jacky said, thinking about that short time he had spent with Steve in the hospital, when they had shared that breakfast. Steve had called him pal and Jacky felt like he really belonged around these people at that moment. It was strange. He had felt at home even before Emily told him to do so. "I've gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

"All right," Mom said, sounding hesitant about ending the conversation. "I love you, sweetie."

"Love you, too," Jacky said then hung up. He slipped his phone into his pocket and leaned on the windowsill, watching as Steve came out of the barn with another horse. Steve climbed up onto the horse and trotted around for a minute before riding off out of Jacky's view. Jacky sighed then stepped away from the window.

He sat down on the bed, remembering the doctor's orders to get some rest. He was a guest at this place and if he was just resting all the time, he felt as if he wouldn't be respectful to his hosts. But they understood his predicament and would tell him to do as the doctor ordered. He laid down with a sigh, not knowing what to do.

* * *

Steve came back to the barn after taking one of the horses out for a run. He dropped off the horse, leading her back into the stall and ignored Emily standing there, not looking happy. He brushed the horse and checked its water then came out and shut the stall. "All right, let me have it," he said.

"You brought a guest home and you just ignore him," Emily said. She held up her hand before he could say anything. "I made sure he got a room and everything he needed." She lowered her hand, crossing her arms as she did so. "Something you should have been doing."

"I got him here, didn't I?" Steve said, walking past her and heading out of the barn. She turned and followed after him. "He knows I have chores to do around here."

"He knows that they were taken care of because I made sure he heard me say that," Emily said. "And what did you do?" She grabbed his arm, stopping him and turning him to her. "You went off anyway! You didn't see the look on his face-"

Steve gestured toward the house. "Do you want me to go in there and make sure he's tucked in?" he asked with a slight tilt of his head. He dropped his arm to his side. "The doc told him to rest. I'm giving him the peace and quiet he needs to in order to get that rest. If you think that's the wrong thing to do-"

"You're just avoiding him."

Steve pointed a finger at her. "You're just seein' something that ain't there," he said. "He's a kid that's never been away from home for too long. He's got that innocent lil angel aura around him. So stop playin' cupid! All he needs is friends. And he's got that. End of story."

"He may be an innocent angel now until you get to know him," Emily said. "I'm pretty sure there's more to Jacky Twist than he's showing. Maybe even more than he's aware of."

"I'm sure not gonna make him aware of it."

"We'll just have to see how your trip to Brokeback Mountain turns out," Emily said. She smirked then walked past him and headed off. Steve watched her go then shook his head and headed for the house.

* * *

Jacky hadn't realized he had fallen asleep until a knock on the door woke him. He pushed himself up and saw Emily standing in the doorway. "Up for a cookout?" she asked. "You're probably pretty hungry."

"Now that you mention it..." Jacky said, placing a hand over his stomach when it growled. "Maybe Steve shouldn't have helped me with breakfast." Emily laughed as she headed out of the room. Jacky stood up and followed after her. They went outside and over to the barn where the cookout was set up. There were no tables. Everyone just had to stand or sit on the hay bales that were strategically placed around.

Steve walked over with a plate for himself and one already prepared for Jacky. He handed it to Jacky. Emily smiled and nodded then stepped away, leaving the two standing there on their own.

"How's your room?" Steve asked, breaking the silence. Other people were talking, but they had just been standing there. "Emily had to clear it out. We don't really use that room that much."

"What if you had kids?" Jacky asked then immediately wished he could take it back at the look on Steve's face. "Was it something I said?"

Steve cleared his throat then turned to Jacky more. "Emily and I aren't like that," he said. "We're just friends. Hell, Emily came to work for me to get away from any kind of relationship. And nothing will ever be between us."

For some reason Jacky couldn't explain or understand, hearing that made him feel even better. He looked down at his food then back at Steve. "The room's great," he said. "The bed's real soft. I had a nice nap." He picked up his burger and took a big bite.

"Yeah, Emily made sure we had the best mattresses," Steve said with a small smile. "We were a bit late with the bills that month." He gave a soft laugh that made Jacky's heart skip a beat.

Where had that come from?

Steve placed a hand on Jacky's back. "Let me introduce you to the guys," he said then led Jacky forward.

He was introduced to the other ranchers and talked with a few of them as he ate, but he mostly just wanted to spend more time with Steve. He couldn't help but wonder if Steve was just trying to avoid being around him. It hurt his feelings and confused him. Why would Steve want to avoid him? And why did Jacky want so desperately to be around him? These were thoughts that were on Jacky's mind for the rest of the afternoon.

Over dinner, they discussed upcoming plans. In the morning, Steve would take Jacky into town for that shopping trip that had been planned for today. Then they would make the appropriate plans to head up to Signal then on to the Brokeback Mountain Resort for a few days.

Jacky was excited when he went to bed that night.

**_to be continued..._**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter Eight_**

Jacky woke up the next morning by the sun shining in through the window. He groaned, pulling the comforter up over his head to block out the light, knowing he should have pulled the blinds down last night. He hadn't thought about it because he had never had the problem before. He rolled over, putting his back to the window when he couldn't get to sleep. A few minutes later, he heard shouts and whistles outside. The men getting to work. Not long after that was the sound of footsteps back and forth outside his room. He reached toward the nightstand, grabbing his phone and looking at it to see what time it was. It was barely 6:30. Why, even, was the sun up?

"Breakfast time!" Emily's voice came at his doorway, making him jump, startled. "Get that cute lil ass o' yours up and downstairs. We've got a big breakfast waitin' on ya." And then she was gone.

Jacky put his phone down then got out of bed. He got dressed, pulling on his shoes before he grabbed his phone and headed downstairs. The front door was open, letting in the cool morning air. It was pretty busy this morning, he could see. He rubbed his eyes as he walked into the kitchen, yawning as he made his way over to the table and sat down. Steve was sitting there, reading the paper. And the table was covered with all kinds of breakfast food. Jacky grabbed a plate and helped himself.

"You want some coffee?" Emily asked, walking into the kitchen.

Jacky shook his head as he piled food on his plate. "Not a big fan," he said then grabbed a fork.

"Then how about some orange juice?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Emily smiled then got a glass and poured some orange juice then took the glass to him, setting it on the table in front of him. She looked at Steve. "I'm gonna take one of the horses out for a run for a couple of hours," she said. "Speed's gettin' on in years, he needs the exercise."

Steve lowered the paper and looked at her. "Make sure one of the boys go with ya," he said. "Since I'll be in town, I won't be able to go. And no matter what you say, I ain't lettin' you go runnin' out there alone."

"Shawn's going with me."

"Shawn's a nice fella."

Emily tossed a slice of toast at him. "Oh, be quiet," she said then turned and headed outside. Steve smiled then went back to reading the paper.

"How's your morning so far?" It took a moment for Jacky to realize Steve was talking to him.

"Early," Jacky said, trying not to sound like he was complaining. He looked at Steve. "Ranch people not know the concept of sleeping in?"

"When you're the town's main import with somethin', you can't afford to sleep in," Steve said. He folded the paper and set it aside, picking up his coffee mug. "Emily didn't _have _to get you up early."

"Then why did she?"

Steve glanced in the direction Emily had gone before looking down at his coffee. "I've got an idea," he said then took a drink. He set the mug down then looked at Jacky. "You don't mind an early start into town, do ya?"

Jacky shook his head. "Not at all," he said. The excitement about spending a day with Steve was back again. Sure, he didn't understand why he was so excited and he wasn't really going to think about it. As long as it got him doing something. "And do you think we'll be able to learn more about my great-grandfather while we're in town?"

"We'll just have to wait and see what time it is when we're through shopping."

Jacky was silent for a moment. "I ain't no woman," he said. "How much time do you think it'd take to get me a few sets of clothes? I'm not lookin' for an entire wardrobe. We're just lookin' for something to keep me going until I go back to New York. Why are you smiling?"

Steve was clearly trying to suppress a laugh. He cleared his throat with a wave of his hand. "I'm sorry to assume-"

"That just makes an ass outta u and me," Jacky said, smiling when Steve became at a loss of words at that.

"Y'know, kid," Steve said, the smile still on his face. He leaned back in his chair. "You're gonna be fun to be around."

"I'm glad you think so," Jacky said, though he was a bit put down by 'kid.' He really didn't want to appear as some immature child around Steve. He wanted to be on the same level with him. Instead, Steve saw him as some helpless child. Getting admitted to the hospital for homesickness didn't help matters. "I try my best to be fun."

"It comes natural, huh?"

"Not all the time."

"Well, hurry up and finish eating," Steve said, getting to his feet. "I wanna be able to get into town before it gets too busy. And Emily would remind me to get back before it gets too hot." He shook his head. "Women. I'll go get the truck."

Jacky watched him go then turned back to his food. He pulled out his phone as he ate and sent a text to his mom, letting her know that he was doing fine and that he probably wouldn't be able to call her until later that afternoon. He put the phone away then ate a little bit more before he stood and headed outside. He stepped off the porch and looked around then turned when he heard the truck.

Steve poked his head out the truck window. "Get enough to eat?" he asked.

"Yeah, don't worry," Jacky said then walked around the truck and climbed into the passenger's seat. He buckled up then Steve drove off.

* * *

As Jacky had predicted, shopping hadn't taken too long. Steve wasn't too surprised by that. Jacky really wanted to get back to doing his research on his great-grandfather. They had practically rushed through shopping. But, at least Jacky had gotten some new clothes and was walking around looking more comfortable now. As soon as they had finished shopping, they headed for the library.

"I've already tried here," Jacky said as Steve browsed through some papers. "All it did was lead me to you." He looked down when Steve pulled out a copy of an old newspaper and hand it to Jacky. He read it then looked at Steve. "We're going to Lightning Flat?"

"There's a Twist family plot there and that's where your great-granddad was buried," Steve said, gesturing to the newspaper Jacky was holding. "Might be a ghost town, but the place probably has buried secrets in it. It was abandoned after a riot. People left real quick. And if they left that quickly, maybe they left some things behind."

"I guess it's worth lookin' into," Jacky said, though it sounded like he wasn't too keen about poking around a ghost town. "Are we gonna head there today?"

"We'll go by there on our way to Signal," Steve said. "I've got things still to do 'round here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out something he had just found today. "But, first, we're goin' by the bank."

Jacky pointed at the object in Steve's hand. "What's that?"

"Something my great-uncle sent to my great-granddad," Steve explained. "Maybe Ennis Del Mar ain't who I thought he was. C'mon." He gestured for Jacky to follow as he headed out the door.

* * *

Jacky followed Steve into the bank a few minutes later. Steve walked up to one of the tellers and exchanged a few words, handing over what Ennis Del Mar had left for the family. Jacky saw that it was a key before the teller took it and headed off. A safe deposit box? They didn't have to wait long before the teller returned with the bank manager and they were taken to another room.

"We've had specific instructions for that safe deposit box for years," the manager said once they were alone in the room. "Frankly, we thought it would be opened long before now."

"What is it?" Steve asked.

The bank manager gestured to the box. "I'll leave it to you to find out," he said then turned and left.

Jacky watched him go then looked forward as Steve walked over to the table. He hurried over to join him as Steve opened the box. Inside was something contained in plastic. Steve took it out and set it aside. Jacky turned it over and saw that it was a shirt. He looked back at Steve when Steve pulled out a stack of bound letters, a postcard with a picture of a mountain on the top. Steve set that aside also, grabbing a folded up piece of paper that was at the bottom. Jacky looked inside the now empty box then looked back at Steve.

Steve was holding the paper out to him. "That's called a confession note," he said, nodding to the paper.

Jacky looked at the paper then reached out and took it. He unfolded it and turned it so he could read it. It wasn't long, but it was the deepest confession Jacky had ever read. It was one man admitting his love for another man. And it was obviously the first time admitting it out loud, even on paper. Ennis Del Mar had been madly in love with Jack Twist. Jacky lowered the paper, not knowing what to think or even how to feel about this.

"Explains why Jack Twist was hated by your family, huh?" Steve said, breaking the silence. "Two men back in those days wasn't as accepted as it is nowadays."

Jacky put the note down with the other items from the safe deposit box. "Do I really need to know more than that?" he asked. Part of him still wanted to visit Brokeback Mountain, though. Had that been the place the two had fallen in love at?

"It's your call," Steve said. "Might be enough for today, though." Jacky just nodded. Steve gathered up the items. "Let's head back to the ranch." He turned and led the way out.

* * *

_to be continued..._


	9. Chapter 9

**_Chapter Nine_**

Jacky had everything packed the night before they were going to head for Signal then on to Brokeback Mountain Resort. It had been two days since they had found Ennis' note and had given Jacky enough time to accept his great-grandfather's background. He hadn't yet told his parents. In fact, he hadn't called them the last few days. He had only texted, letting them know he was doing all right. He was surprised his mother hadn't called, frantic from not hearing from him for so long. Too much was currently going on for him to think about his life back in New York City at the moment. Planning was tough and he had made sure Steve wasn't taking the full responsibility of it even though Steve knew the area more.

Coming downstairs with his luggage in hand, Jacky walked into the living room, hearing Steve and Emily going through a checklist of what was to be done while Steve was gone. They were only planning on being gone for the weekend, yet it sounded as if Steve was planning for a week. And Emily kept reminding him that she was his partner, so she already knew what was supposed to be done whether he was here or not. Jacky set his suitcase down, listening to the two of them bicker like an old married couple. Even though there was nothing romantic between them, Jacky could tell that Steve and Emily loved and enjoyed each other's company.

Emily walked into the living room a few minutes later, with Steve still bickering while following behind her. She stopped in front of Jacky. "You ready to go?" she asked. Being ignored, Steve finally quieted, but looked like he could say something more. Which made Jacky wonder if Steve had doubts about the trip. Did he really want to go? Jacky didn't want to force him to do something he didn't want to.

"I am," Jacky said with a nod then looked past her at Steve. "But is Steve ready?"

"Of course I'm ready," Steve said. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you keep pestering me about what I already do every single day since I came to work with you," Emily said, glaring over her shoulder at her partner. "Why do you think I need this checklist anyhow?"

"I've never been off the ranch," Steve said. "I've never had vacation time. What else do you expect me to do?" Seeing it from that point of view made Jacky feel guilty about his earlier thoughts.

"Expect me to handle it," Emily said. "We both know good and well that I can do it."

"I know," Steve said. He must love the ranch a lot for him to be acting this way. Now Jacky was guilty about pulling Steve away from the ranch, willingly or not. He looked at Jacky. "I'm almost as bad as you, worryin' about leaving home."

"I wasn't worried about leaving home," Jacky said. "I'm worried about making my own home." If he hadn't been in the hospital because of homesickness, he never would have admitted this out loud. Whether they were good friends or not. Living on his own wasn't a thing, so he hadn't even said anything about his fears to his parents. They all, including himself, just assumed he would be living with mom and dad for the rest of his life.

"You're nineteen, it's normal," Steve said. "In your case, it ain't. Normal people don't end up in the hospital because of homesickness." He didn't mean it in a rude way, and Jacky didn't take it that way.

"You don't have to keep bringing it up," Jacky said. His pouting tone just made Steve smile and Jacky forced himself not to crack his own smile. "Did you have those worries when you were nineteen?"

"I was on my own at seventeen," Steve said and Jacky could feel the mood in the room change drastically. "My folks died in a car accident and left me everything." Emily touched his arm in a brief moment of comfort and he thanked her with a nod of his head. "I constantly had those worries. Deep down, I think I still do." He shook his head, changing the subject. "We better get going. I don't want it to be too late gettin' there."

Jacky picked up his suitcase. Emily said a brief goodbye then headed out for the daily chores. Jacky followed Steve out the door and to the truck, putting the suitcase in the truck bed next to Steve's. They both climbed into the truck and then they were on their way.

* * *

They arrived in Signal late because the first thing they had done was drive out of the way to return the rented car Jacky had been driving since arriving in Wyoming. It was almost midnight when they arrived in Signal. They got a room at a hotel, planning on getting up early the next morning so they could get to Brokeback Mountain Resort at a good time. As soon as they walked into the room, they didn't turn on the lights. They went directly to the beds, fell down and almost immediately passed out from the long traveling day.

Steve was up first the next morning, surprised that the alarm hadn't woken up Jacky. He showered then headed downstairs for breakfast then took some food up to the room for Jacky whenever he woke up. When he walked into the room again, he could hear Jacky in the shower. He put the food down on the table then looked over the Brokeback Mountain Resort pamphlet that he had picked up in the lobby the night before.

The Resort was open year round and was the busiest during the summer. There were a lot of activities and the place seemed more geared toward couples. Building the resort had started in the late 1990s and opened in 2000. Activities included swimming, boating, fishing, and skiing during the winter months. Spring and summer were the best times for couples, which was why it was the busiest. Brokeback Mountain was obviously a romantic getaway spot. And from the pictures in the pamphlet, he could see why. The place was beautiful and he couldn't wait to see it in real life.

Steve put the pamphlet down when he heard the bathroom door. Jacky stepped out, wearing only a towel around his waist. The second he saw Steve, he jumped back into the bathroom, closing the door quickly. Steve chuckled with a shake of his head. He walked over to the bathroom door and knocked. "You ain't got nothin' I haven't seen before," he said.

"Yeah, but I'm not gonna strut it around!" was Jacky's response. "Could you bring me my clothes? They're on the bed."

Steve walked over to the bed, grabbed the clothes and came back. "How long did you expect me to be gone?" he asked after he knocked on the door once more.

Jacky opened the door a crack and peered out. "I take short showers," he said, holding out his arm to take the clothes. "Normal people take longer to eat."

Steve handed the clothes over. Jacky pulled them in and the door was shut fast. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall next to the door. "The only time I take longer to eat's when I'm eating with someone else," he said. "No conversation means shorter eating time."

It didn't take long for the door to open again and Jacky walked out, fully dressed this time. "What do they have for breakfast?" he asked, walking past Steve, who caught a whiff of his vanilla-scented shampoo.

"I brought up some stuff," Steve said, waving toward the table. Jacky looked at him then walked over to the table and sat down. Steve pushed away from the wall and walked over to one of the beds and sat down. "We're leaving in about fifteen minutes by the way."

"Why not sooner?" Jacky asked between bites.

"I thought you'd sleep longer."

"I'm an early riser."

"Something you complained about at the ranch," Steve said with a slight smile. Jacky stuck his tongue out at him. "If you want to leave earlier, do you wanna eat on the way?"

Jacky thought for a moment, staring down at his food. "Let's go now," he said, getting to his feet. He put his shoes on then packed up all of his things. Steve didn't have to do anything. He had already packed up his things before he went for breakfast.

"Don't forget your food," Steve said, getting to his feet. He grabbed his suitcase then watched as Jacky stood there, trying to figure out how to carry the food and his suitcase at the same time. He walked over to Jacky's bed and grabbed the other suitcase. Jacky just looked at him gratefully then grabbed his food and followed Steve out the door.

* * *

"Welcome to Brokeback Mountain Resort," the man said at the front desk of the hotel. His nametag read "Clarence." "If you haven't heard, we're having a special cook out all weekend long." He pulled out a pamphlet and placed it on the counter for Jacky and Steve. "How long will you gentlemen be staying?"

"Just for the weekend," Steve said while Jacky pulled the pamphlet over to himself and looked through it. "We've learned recently that this area has significant meaning to our families. Just wondering if you've ever heard of Ennis Del Mar or Jack Twist?" Jacky looked away from the pamphlet only because he was interested in this part of the conversation now.

"My father knew Ennis Del Mar," Clarence said. "Mr. Del Mar helped around here during the building in the 1990s. He didn't provide financially, but he was a big help to everyone who worked here. There's an area here at the resort that he named after Jack Twist, in fact."

"Really?" Steve asked. They were always learning something new. What else was there about Ennis Del Mar?

"Yes," Clarence replied with a nod. "It's a nice little fishing area. For only nine dollars, you can reserve the spot for yourself for a few hours a day. If you hurry, you can still book a reservation."

Jacky looked at Steve. "We didn't come here for fishing," he mumbled.

Steve spoke quick enough to talk over Jacky's comment. "We'll think about it," he said. "We'd like to book two rooms. Is there any chance we could talk to your father?"

"He's away on business," Clarence said. "He won't be back until the middle of next week." He worked on the computer then paused and looked back at them. "We only have one room available. A suite."

"That's fine," Steve said, looking at Jacky when Jacky elbowed him in the side. "What?"

Jacky turned around, putting his back to Clarence, who looked at them both strangely. Steve didn't move for a moment then turned around alongside Jacky. "What is it?" he asked, lowering his voice.

"It's a suite," Jacky said, whispering also. "How're we gonna afford-"

"It'll be fine."

"It's also a suite," Jacky went on. "at a couples resort." He and Steve had a staredown for a moment then they both turned back to Clarence.

"The suite's fine," Steve said. "We'll take it."

Clarence booked them the room then handed over the key and a small bag. Steve grabbed the key and the bag before Jacky could reach it. Steve turned and headed off with Jacky following behind him. They headed up two flights then down the hall to their room.

"What's in the bag?" Jacky asked as Steve unlocked the door and stepped inside. They were each carrying their own suitcase now. Jacky followed him in, letting the door swing closed behind him. He set the suitcase down as he looked around the room.

The lighting was dimmed and there was one bed. The biggest bed Jacky had ever seen. There was a TV in front of the bed and the bathroom in the back corner. He had seen bigger and better suites in his life, but the resort wasn't too fancy to begin with.

"What's in the bag?" Jacky asked again, not going to mention that there wasn't even a couch for one of them to sleep on. Sharing a bed would be a bit strange, but the bed was big enough to give them both enough space.

Steve put the room key down on the table, putting the bag in his pocket. For safe keeping? "A young mind like yours wouldn't understand," he said.

"It's condoms, isn't it?" Jacky asked. Steve gave him a look, but he knew he was right. "I may be single and a virgin, but I'm old enough to have gotten the talk. I got that talk a long time ago."

"You didn't seem like the type that'd understand," Steve said.

"I'm not _that _young."

Steve walked over to the window, opening the curtain to let in more light. Outside was the most beautiful view Jacky had ever seen. Jacky walked over and looked out. It was a marvelous view of the mountain peaks and a river.

"Do you think it was this beautiful back when Ennis and Jack were here?" Jacky asked, looking over at Steve.

"It was probably better back then," Steve said then turned away from the window. "Wish we could've spoken to Clarence's dad. Someone who actually knew Ennis-"

"I think I have enough information on Jack Twist," Jacky said. He walked over to the bed and sat down, forgetting the conversation for a moment as he enjoyed the texture of the bed. He laid down with a satisfied sigh then sat back up and looked at Steve. "There's really not that much more to him. The big mystery was solved back in Riverton."

"So what're we doin' here?"

Jacky shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I was just curious about the place. Jack and Ennis worked together here and maybe this is the place that brought them together," he said.

"Maybe, maybe not," Steve said. "You'll probably never know the whole story between Jack and Ennis."

"Do I really need to?" Jacky asked. "That note...It explained a lot in just a few words. Jack meant a lot to Ennis."

"You still don't know how he died."

"Not sure I wanna know," Jacky said. He had found out that two men together back then was an abomination and that some people took care of those types of people in the worst possible way. What if Jack Twist had ended his life in that way? He was glad he didn't live in that time.

"Then I guess we just relax and enjoy our time here," Steve said. "I needed a vacation anyway." He gestured for Jacky to stand up. "Let's go see if we can get a tour of the place." He grabbed the key as he headed for the door.

Jacky got to his feet and followed.

* * *

**_To Be Continued..._**


	10. Chapter 10

**_Chapter Ten_**

Jacky and Steve spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon exploring the resort. A lot of the guests were friendly and the workers were nice as they showed them around. During the tour, Jacky just kept trying to imagine no buildings or anything like it was back in his great-grandfather's day. To breathe in the crisp, mountain air and just relax with the silence of nature. He got distracted a few times and went on his own for a little ways, but quickly caught himself and hurried after Steve and the guide. They caught a late lunch around 2 o'clock then headed back to their suite to get ready for the cookout that would be happening later tonight.

"Will this cookout be like the cookout we had at the ranch?" Jacky asked, sitting down on the bed. Steve was in the bathroom freshening up. "I'm hungry just thinkin' about it." He placed a hand on his stomach. He turned his head when Steve came out of the bathroom.

"A cookout's a cookout," Steve said. "And I heard they're gonna put on some sort of show in the barn later tonight. You can even participate if you want."

Jacky jumped to his feet, worried. "Me?" he asked, his voice a bit shaky. "I couldn't-"

"Relax," Steve said with a slight smile. "I didn't mean you specifically. I meant the audience can participate."

"Oh," Jacky said with a sigh of relief. "Can we go eat now?"

Steve crossed his arms as he looked at Jacky. "It's only been a couple of hours since you last ate," he said. "And you ate like a horse. It's a surprise you're actually still hungry."

"Just the thought of food makes me hungry," Jacky said. "Ain't that better than developing another severe case of homesickness?"

"Maybe," Steve said with a slight nod of his head. "As long as you don't gorge yourself. You might end up at the hospital with something worse than homesickness. Take it easy at the cookout, alright?"

"You sound like my mother."

"You sound like you need her." Steve placed his hand on Jacky's shoulder, nodding toward the door. "Let's go so we get there on good time." He patted Jacky on the back then headed for the door. Jacky followed.

* * *

The cookout was, as Steve had told Jacky earlier, a cookout. There was nothing special to it. All it did was make Steve miss supper time at the ranch. Surrounded by people he actually knew. He thought about calling Emily to see how things were going back there, but she'd only tell him that things were fine and that he should focus more on the trip he was on. Or the person he was with.

Steve leaned against the fence of the corral, watching as a few of the guests were led around on horses. Jacky was with that group and was near the back of the line. He looked like he was having a lot of fun. He needed to remember to reserve a spot for them on the upcoming horse trek through the mountain. It would be an all day thing and a good way to spend their last day here on Brokeback Mountain.

He looked down at the beer in his hand, wondering if he should take more time off from the ranch and spend some more time here. Once this trip was over, Jacky might head back home to New York City. He had grown fond of the kid and didn't really want to see him go yet.

"You're Mr. Del Mar, right?"

Steve turned to the man that had spoken. "Yeah, I am," he said, pushing away from the fence. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, we're getting ready to start our show and I was just asking around to see if anyone would want to take part in it," the man said. "It's sort of like a talent show. We started it last year and it became a big hit. Would you like to take part?"

Steve thought about it for a moment then nodded his head. "Sure, I'd like to," he said. "A singin' cowboy ain't too boring, is it?"

The man shook his head with a smile. "Not at all," he said. "I'll put you on for eight. When you pick a song, see Leslie at the back of the barn." He thanked Steve then turned and walked off.

Steve turned back to the corral just in time to see the horse ride over and Jacky was walking his way on the other side of the fence. "You're a natural on that horse, you know that?" he said. "Did ya have fun?"

"Movies don't show you how hard it is to get off a horse," Jacky said with a slight pout. He wiped the look off his face and replaced it with a smile. "Did you know there's gonna be a horse trek-"

"I know," Steve said with a nod. "And we're goin'."

Steve didn't think Jacky's smile could get any bigger, but he somehow managed it. "If only my birthday had been this much fun," he said. Steve stepped back as Jacky climbed over the fence. Steve caught his arm when he nearly fell over.

"They're gettin' ready to start the show in the barn," Steve said, letting go of Jacky's arm and lowering his hand. "And I'll be goin' on at eight. They're asking around for participants."

"What are you gonna do?" Jacky asked.

"Sing."

"You can sing?"

"I'm a cowboy," Steve said as if that was answer enough. "C'mon." He led the way to the barn.

* * *

The show wasn't as interesting as Jacky thought it would be. He found himself in the same mindset as he had been during the opera on his birthday. He fidgeted a lot, refusing to whip out his phone and play on it like he had at the opera. He didn't want to miss Steve's singing. Steve was somewhere "back stage" if you could call outside behind the barn that. Jacky hadn't seen him since the show started. He was sitting alone on the row near the back of the audience. Being around strangers without Steve made him feel nervous, so he wanted to be away from everyone.

Eight finally arrived and people clapped as Steve was introduced. Jacky clapped, straightening up in his seat to see over the crowd and rethinking his decision to sit all the way back here. He hoped he'd be able to hear Steve fine.

"Thank you," Steve said when he came out. The applause quieted down. Except for Jacky, who kept clapping longer then stopped and crossed his arms, embarrassing himself. "I'd like to do an old classic. A favorite of mine." He looked behind him and nodded and the music started playing. Jacky recognized it because he had heard it on the radio back at the ranch a time or two. Steve waited for the intro then started singing, "King of the Road."

_"Trailer for sale or rent, rooms to let fifty cents  
No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain't got no cigarettes  
I am a, two hours of pushin' broom buys a  
Eight by ten four-bit room  
I'm a man of means by no means, cause I'm a king of the road."_

Jacky had never heard Steve sing before. He definitely had a great voice. It was a wonder he hadn't done more with it. But, ranch life was Steve's life. Pursuing a career as a singer would pull him away from the core of his being. He was made for that ranch. No one could take him away from that.

_"Third boxcar midnight train, destination Bangor, Maine  
Old worn out suit and shoes, I don't pay no union dues  
I smoke old stogies I have found, short but not too big around  
I'm a man of means by no means,cause i'm a king of the road."_

Jacky fidgeted in his seat again. Not out of boredom this time. He had a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach as he listened to Steve sing. He had never felt this way before, but he was starting to understand the reason why he enjoyed spending so much time with Steve Del Mar.

_"__ I know every engineer on every train  
All the children and all the good names  
every handout in every town  
And if it's locked it ain't locked if no-one's around  
I say...  
Trailer for sale or rent, rooms to let fifty cents  
I'm a man of means by no means, king of the road  
'Cause i'm a King of the Road  
I'm just a King of the Road  
King of the Road."_

As the song came to a close and the music stopped and the applause started up again, Jacky got to his feet and left the barn, needing the fresh air. He stood outside for a few minutes, hearing music and laughter coming from inside. He turned to go back in, but all he could think about was Steve. He shook his head and turned, heading for the hotel.

* * *

Jacky had closed himself off in the bathroom when he heard Steve walk into the suite, asking him what had happened. When Jacky didn't answer, Steve banged on the door of the bathroom and asked again. Quickly, Jacky turned on the shower to pretend that he hadn't heard Steve's question. "What're you doin' in there?" Steve asked, his voice slightly muffled.

"Showering!" Jacky said, but he was standing too close to the door to make that believable. He turned and jumped into the shower fully dressed and pulled the curtain closed just as the door opened and Steve walked in. Then the curtain was pulled open to reveal a fully clothed and soaked Jacky. Steve didn't say anything for a moment then reached over and turned off the water. He crossed his arms, clearly waiting for an explanation.

"OK, looks like we gotta talk," Jacky said. He placed his hands on his hips and shook his head, sending drops of water everywhere. "But I can't take the situation seriously drenched." He pointed toward the door. "Could you get me my jammies? I laid them out on the bed."

Steve grabbed a towel and handed it to Jacky then left the room. Jacky stepped out of the shower and started undressing, tossing the wet clothes into the corner of the bathroom. He jumped, covering himself with the towel when Steve came back with Jacky's pajamas. "Don't you knock?" Jacky demanded.

"Shouldn't you have been expecting me?" Steve said. He handed over the pajamas then left.

A few minutes later, dressed now, Jacky came out of the bathroom, seeing Steve sitting on the bed wearing sweat pants and no shirt. He was in the process of getting dressed. Jacky didn't, couldn't, move until Steve pulled on a shirt and stood up. Jacky walked over. Steve turned when he heard him.

"I'm just gonna get right to the point," Jacky said, wondering if he should ask Steve to sit down. Or maybe he should sit down. He figured that standing would have to be good enough. If he had to run out quick, he wouldn't have to worry about standing up first. "I didn't know my sexuality until you started singing." He got the words out fast and they were one of the most hardest to say.

Steve stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face. "Excuse me?"

"I've never thought about a romantic relationship," Jacky said. "I was always the odd one at school. The nobody. The weird kid that everyone wants to avoid. Sure, I got the talk, but I never thought it'd come in handy."

"Until you heard me singing."

"No!" Jacky said quickly, realizing where Steve thought this conversation was going. "I may be admitting feelings here, but I'm _definitely _not going there." Them both standing there in their pjs next to a bed didn't help his thinking. "And I understand if you never want to talk to me again. Here I am, newly found gay guy developing feelings for the manliest man he's ever met!"

"It's not newly found," Steve said. He was taking this a lot better than Jacky had been imagining. But, what had he been imagining? He didn't even know. "Emily's been trying to set us up ever since we met."

"That's why she's been acting strange?" Jacky asked. Steve nodded. He nodded as well then paused. "Are you...? But you were flirting with that girl at the store!"

Steve, relaxed and unfazed, walked over to the table and lit a cigarette. He looked back at Jacky. "I play both teams, pally," he said. It was clear he had that seductive look in his eyes on purpose.

Jacky crossed his arms. "I'm sleeping in the tub tonight," he said.

Steve laughed and walked back over to him. "There's plenty of room on the bed," he said. "If it'll make you feel better, we can put some pillows between us." He stepped past Jacky and over to the bed.

"We're not gonna talk about this more?" Jacky asked, turning to him.

"What's there to talk about?" Steve asked. "Do you have that same feeling now as you did when I was singing?"

"No," Jacky said, not wanting to imagine how he'd feel if Steve had been singing a love song. "But that doesn't mean anything. Those feelings are still there."

"We're friends," Steve said, climbing into bed. "That's how it's gonna be." He put the cigarette out then rearranged the pillows then laid down.

Jacky didn't want it to hurt, but it did. He walked over to the other side of the bed and climbed in. He laid down, his back to Steve and the pillows.

* * *

Steve woke up in the middle of the night buried under pillows. He pushed them off and sat up and looked over at Jacky, who was still laying in the exact same position as he had been before. How Steve had gotten buried under the pillows, he didn't. He grabbed them and just tossed them off the bed and laid back down, but couldn't get back to sleep.

Now he started thinking about the conversation he and Jacky had had. It had been the strangest way of telling anyone his sexual orientation, but he wouldn't have changed anything. With how quickly Jacky had admitted feelings for him made Steve feel as if they had already been more than friends. He looked over at Jacky, who was snoring softly.

Steve lifted the covers and scooted over until he was laying right behind Jacky, who still didn't move. Cautiously, Steve put his arm around Jacky and got an unexpected reaction. Jacky moved back into the embrace, burying his face in the pillow with a soft moan. He didn't wake up. Steve watched him sleep even though it was too dark to see much. He wondered why he was even doing this. He had been the one to say they were friends and he had planned on keeping it that way. He didn't want a relationship. He couldn't handle a relationship.

But he felt pulled toward Jacky in a way he had never felt before. He didn't believe in destiny. Just because Jack and Ennis hadn't gotten a happy ending didn't mean that he and Jacky would have to find it. Things didn't work like that.

_Did _he have feelings for Jacky?

He thought back to earlier that night. After he had finished his song. He remembered seeing Jacky get up and leave rather quickly. He had to admit that that had hurt his feelings until Jacky explained it to him. He had been amused by it, sure, but had he also been flattered? How long had it been since someone saw him in that way? He had grown accustomed to the thought of living the rest of his life alone. He wasn't the type to commit to anything.

Jacky shifted slightly in his sleep and Steve was a bit surprised he hadn't just rolled over and snuggled into him. Steve laid his head down on Jacky's pillow, nuzzling the back of Jacky's neck a bit. He smiled as he closed his eyes, wondering what the morning would bring.

* * *

**_to be continued..._**


	11. Chapter 11

**_Chapter Eleven_**

He snuggled into that warmth, feeling at home in the was comfortable where he was and didn't want to move. Jacky was having a nice dream and didn't want to wake up for it to end. But then Steve crept into his mind, showing up in his dream with those brown eyes gleaming at him. Jacky woke up, sitting up straight in the bed. He woke up Steve in the process because Steve's arm had been around him. Jacky quickly scrambled out of bed, stumbling to the floor before he got up and backed away from the bed and into the wall by the door. Steve sat up, looking half asleep with a "What's going on?" expression.

"This how you get up every morning?" Steve asked, leaning back against the head board. He shifted onto his side, leaning slightly on his arm. He looked over at Jacky, who refused to move. "You okay?"

"You...me..." Jacky started, waving at the bed. "Arm...sleep...dream..."

"Wow, we're really getting places with this conversation," Steve said, sarcastically. "Need help filling in some sentences? _I _had my _arm _around _you _while you were _sleeping." _He paused for a moment. "Not sure where to go with that dream part." He gave Jacky a look that said he knew Jacky had been dreaming about him._  
_

Jacky hoped he hadn't turned bright red. "You should've let me sleep in the tub last night, Steve," he said. "This wouldn'ta happened and I wouldn't be embarrassed right now."

"Embarrassed?" Steve asked, sounding shocked. "What're you embarrassed about? You didn't do anything. I'm the one that put my arm around you. D'ya think you did that?"

Jacky didn't say anything for a long moment. "But last night you said we were just friends," he said. "And that that was how it was gonna be. End of story. Nothin' romantic here."

"Now you're putting words in my mouth."

"Most of it's true."

"We needed to talk it through a little bit more last night than what we did," Steve said. "I thought I could just wave it off because I'm not ready for it."

"Ready for it?" Jacky asked, his voice a bit shaky with nervousness. Even pressed against the wall, he could still feel sweat running down his back. "Steve, where is this conversation going?"

"You're not the only one with feelings, bud," Steve said. "I was thinkin' last night and I realized even before that show that I'll miss ya once you go back home to New York City."

"Really?" Jacky asked, touched.

"But don't expect too much," Steve said. "I'm not a very affectionate kinda guy."

Jacky crossed his arms as he stood there against the wall. "Then why did you start the cuddling last night?" he asked with a slight tilt of his head.

"To be honest," Steve said. "I have no friggin' clue. Do I regret doin' it?" He shook his head. "No. Would I do anything different?" He let that hang for a moment then his eyes met Jacky's. "No."

That gaze made Jacky's heart skip a beat. He stepped away from the wall. Steve never looked away from him. Jacky walked over to the bed and climbed back into it, sitting down next to Steve. He was nervous now and was surprised he had even made the short trip from the wall back to the bed. He couldn't find the right words to say and Steve just laid there, watching him. So, he didn't think, he just did it.

He leaned forward and planted his lips against Steve's. He figured he hadn't done it too sloppily because when he pulled away, Steve pulled him right back in for another kiss. He might not have ever imagined a romantic relationship for himself, but he had always thought his first kiss would be more romantic than this.

Jacky shifted his position, stretching out to where he was laying with his body pressed up against Steve's. He wasn't doing anything with his hands, unlike Steve, who slipped his arms around Jacky and tugged him closer.

Then Steve broke the kiss a few minutes later and Jacky was left breathless. Steve rolled out of bed and went into the bathroom, leaving Jacky lying there. Jacky rolled over onto his back, a sigh escaping.

* * *

Steve locked the bathroom door then stood at the sink, staring into the mirror. _I was just kissing Jacky Twist. _He could still feel Jacky's lips against his own. The warmth of his body. He shook his head as he looked down, turning on the water. He splashed some water on his face then turned the water off and grabbed a towel. He dried his face then looked back at his reflection.

As he had told Jacky, he didn't regret what had happened. But, he didn't regret most things nowadays. All of his regrets were far in his past. Far enough back for him to never think about. But some of it came back now. Was he ready for some type of commitment with Jacky? After what happened with...

He pushed the thought aside, dropping the towel next to the sink. He paced back and forth for a moment then walked over to the door and unlocked it. He opened it then stepped out, seeing that Jacky was up and already dressed. He was sitting at the table, looking over the resort's pamphlet.

"Anything interesting for us to do today?" Steve asked. Was this normal? To act as if only a few minutes ago hadn't happened? "I know the horse trek is tomorrow, but do they have-"

"I thought we could go for a hike," Jacky said. He got to his feet and walked over to Steve, holding the pamphlet out. He pointed at something and Steve looked down. "There's a two mile trail through the forest. It's got some great sight seeing."

Steve took the pamphlet, glancing at the pictures that advertised the hike. "Then we'll do that," he said with a nod, looking back at Jacky and handing the pamphlet back over. "Just let me get changed first and then we'll go." He stepped past Jacky and over to his suitcase.

"Are we gonna talk about it?"

"The hike?" Steve asked, knowing exactly what Jacky had meant. He opened his suitcase and dug through it for what he needed. "There's something more to say?"

"We didn't really say anything."

Steve grabbed what he needed then turned and walked over to Jacky. He didn't think he was staring him down, but Jacky looked slightly intimidated. "Jacky," he said. "Would you like to go steady?"

"Wow, you really are old-fashioned."

Steve didn't even try to keep the smile off his face. "If I was as old-fashioned as you think I am, I would've called your folks first to ask them if I could date you," he said. "What's your answer?"

"I get to call you my boyfriend?"

"No annoying pet names," Steve said, pointing a finger in Jacky's face. "And you really can't call me your boyfriend unless we get a second date."

"Can't the walk count as a second date?" Jacky asked. "After all, we were just making out." He gestured toward the bed.

"That don't count," Steve said. "The walk's the first date. Let's make it count." He walked around Jacky and headed back to the bathroom to change.

* * *

Jacky hadn't realized it was really early until they walked outside. The sun was up, but the air was cool and the place was quiet. It was a few minutes' walk to the start of the trail and they walked that distance in a comfortable silence. Jacky was slightly ahead of Steve as they started on the trail. Steve slowed down a bit, talking on his phone with Emily to see how the ranch was doing. Jacky didn't overhear Steve's side of the conversation because he was nervous Steve would say something about him and their current relationship status.

Which was what? _First date._

After a few minutes, Steve hung up and caught up with Jacky's pace. Jacky was taken a bit off guard when Steve took his hand, but he didn't protest. It felt a bit strange, but a good kind of strange. He smiled, not realizing he had been staring at Steve until Steve looked at him with a smile in return. Jacky looked forward quickly, embarrassed.

"So," Steve said, breaking the silence. "This the part where we start to get to know each other more?"

"There's really not much more to me than what you already know," Jacky said.

"What I've mostly heard about you is where you live and who your great-granddad is," Steve said. "You don't really talk about yourself much. It didn't bother me before, but we're goin' steady now."

"What do you want to know?"

Steve smiled, looking at him. "Anything?"

"OK, here's one thing," Jacky said, turning his head to Steve. "I don't like your non-specific questions."

Steve laughed and it was one of the most wonderful things to Jacky's ears. "Get used to it," he said.

"You're not being fair to me."

Steve pulled him along to continue down the trail. "Tell me about your family," he said.

"My family?" Jacky asked. "Oh, they're the best. My mom works as a nurse and my dad works at the bank. I have an older brother and sister. Clark lives with our grandparents at a home and helps take care of them. Dianne..." He trailed off with a shrug. "She's kind of the rebel of the family." He wasn't going to mention anyone other than his immediate family because they were all that mattered to him. "Maybe one day you can meet them."

"I'd be honored," Steve said, though it sounded as if he didn't think that would be happening anytime soon. But, Jacky could just be reading the situation wrong, so he let it go.

They continued the walk with a nice conversation, practically ignoring the sight seeing of the trail. Steve didn't offer too much detail of his life, just enough to satisfy Jacky where he'd stop asking questions. Jacky learned quick when to stop. He didn't seem like he wanted to pry into Steve's life no matter how much he wanted to know about the guy. Talking about Steve's parents was a touchy subject and also past relationships. Jacky got the feeling that there was one _important _relationship in Steve's life, but he didn't ask about anything.

The end of the trail stopped up the side of a mountain top and provided a beautiful view of the resort and the area Brokeback Mountain was located at. Jacky stepped toward the edge where a railing was perched and breathed in the mountain air, feeling the cool breeze against his skin. When he looked behind him, he hunched his shoulders a bit with an embarrassed smile when he saw that Steve was watching him.

Steve walked up to stand at the railing next to him. He looked forward. "I really needed this," he said then looked at Jacky. "Thank you."

"Why're you thanking me?" Jacky asked, resting one hand on the railing. "You're the one that suggested I come out here."

"I never would've left that ranch if you hadn't showed up in town," Steve said. "You can wonder all you want why I'm thankin' you. I'll keep on doin' it." He patted Jacky's hand then looked back forward, leaning on the railing.

Jacky leaned on the railing next to him, their shoulders touching. He looked at Steve for a moment then out at the view. "I can't wait for that trek tomorrow," he said. "We'll get to see more of Brokeback than this."

Steve smiled with a nod of his head. "And maybe we can stick around for a few more days," he said, looking down and kicking at the dirt. "Y'know, to talk to Clarence's dad." He looked over at Jacky.

Jacky looked at him. "You really wanna do that?"

Steve nodded his head. "If you wanna stick around here a bit longer," he said.

"I'll have to talk to my parents and let them know, but yeah," Jacky said with a nod. "I think I'll stick around a bit longer." He smiled.

Steve smiled back. "Let's get back," he said then started back down the trail with Jacky right by his side.

* * *

Jacky walked into their room first. Steve was downstairs, talking to Clarence about their extended stay. He walked over to his suitcase and dug out his phone. When he turned it on, he saw that he had a message from his mom. He checked his voicemail then listened to the message.

_"Hi, honey, sorry to bother you." _There was a certain strain to her voice. _"Clark and Dianne are here. I tried calling you first, but you never answered. I didn't really want to leave a message, but here it goes. Jacky, sweetie, your father and I are getting a divorce." _And the message ended like that.

Jacky lowered the phone, unable to move. He heard the door open behind and Steve saying something about the price of the room being cheaper in the middle of the week. He turned and Steve stopped abruptly when he saw the look on Jacky's face. He didn't have to ask to know that something was wrong.

"Jacky..."

"My parents are getting a divorce," Jacky said. He slipped the phone into his pocket then grabbed his suitcase and put it on the bed then started packing up his things.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked, walking over to Jacky, who was moving as if on autopilot. He placed a hand on Jacky's back, which made Jacky stop what he was doing.

"No, I'm not okay," Jacky said, staring down at his suitcase. "I don't understand what's going on. My parents...I thought they loved each other." He turned and sat down on the bed.

Steve knelt down in front of him. "I'm coming with you," he said.

That took Jacky by surprise. "You don't have to," he said. "You have to get back to the ranch."

"Emily can handle things there without me," Steve said. "You need me more than she does."

"Thanks, Steve."

Steve got to his feet, patting Jacky's leg. "Now I have to go talk to Clarence again," he said with a sigh. He kissed Jacky's forehead. "I'll be right back." He turned and left the room.

Jacky sat there, not moving.

* * *

**_to be continued..._**


End file.
